Folding mechanism for packaging machines



FOLDING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGNG MACHINES Filed Jan. 25 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet l TTORAL Y F, WYNER FOLDING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINES Filed Jan. 25 1922 3 Sheets-Shree?, 2

f W I A TTORA'EY MWh-@T78 F. mix/NER l FOLDING MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINES Filed Jan. 25 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 :PELJWEE 75 "-P-lcsu? lm Patented July 8, 1924.

narran sraras astenia saraur FELIX WYNER, OF NEW YORK; N. Y., ASSIGNOB TO PHENIX CHEESE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FOLDING- MECHANISM FOR PACKAGING MACHINES.

Application led January 25, 1922. Serial No. 531,599.

To all 'who/lp t may cof/wem Be it known that I, FELIX WYNER, a citizen of the United States, a resident of New York, in the countyof Bronx and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Mechanismsfor Packa ingMachines, of which the following is a ull, clear, and. concise description.

My invention relates to folding mechanisms for packaging machines, and more particularly to the kind of folding mecha.- nisms adapted for use upon machines for packaging plastic materials, such as cheese, butter, lard and the like.l

Stated more specifically, my invention relates to mechanisms for folding a wrapper about a cake ofthe plastic material to lbe packaged, these mechanisms being used in connection with other devices, and all being employed together for the purpose of producing packages adapted for commercial use. y

A prominent feature of my invention is a plurality of folder arms and a package Wrapping platform associated with said folder arms, and suitable mechanism for shifting the folder arms one at a time relatively to the platform, so that with a wrapper resting upon the platform and a cake of l plastic material resting upon the Wrapper, first one edge of the wrapper is folded 1n one direction over the cake, by a movement of one of the folder arms, and then a different edge of the wrapper is folded in a different direction over the cake, bythe movement of at different folder arm. Thus the last-mentioned edge of the wrapper is caused to overlap the first-mentioned edge thereof. By this arrangement, one edge of the wrapper is folded down upon the cake of plastic material and rendered stationary before the opposite edge is brought over it,

mand the oppositely-disposed ed es of the wrapper are prevented from c ashing together or otherwise interfering each with the other.

A typical substance upon which my 1mproved folding mechanism may be used for packaging is cream cheese, but my invention ma be employed to advantage in packaging a most any material to be enclosed in separate indiyidual foldable Wrappers, such as sheets of tin foil or paper.

Reference is made to the accompanying cation, and in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures.

Figure 1 is a view, partly in plan and partly 1n section, of a packaging machine equipped with a number of package wrapplng platforms each having associated with it one of my improved folding mechanisms.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan of one of the package Wrapping platforms, carrying my improved folding mechanism.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 4 is a section onA the line 4-4 of Fi ure 2, looking in the direction. indicated y thearrows.

Figure 5 is a perspective of a double track cam used in connectlon with mechanism for actuating'the folder arms forming a part of my invention. y Figures 6 to 15 inclusive are diagrams, indlcatlng one of the package wrapping platforms and various movable parts immediately associated therewith as used for placing a wrapper upon a cake of cheese or the like, the several figures indicating the various successive positions of the movable parts at different stages ofthe work of folding the wrapper upon the cake.

A table is shown at 16, and supports a feed hopper 17, containing a revoluble feed lscrew 18, for agitating and exerting pressure upon a plastic material to be contained in the feed hopper. Connected with the feed hopper 17 and supported by the table 16 is a feed mechanism 23, forv forming the lastic material into the cakes which are to e wrapped, as hereinafter described.

Mounted over the table 16 is a turntable 24, having a step-by-step revoluble movement. A power shaft 25 is used for oonferring movements upon various -movable parts, including the turntable 24. The

`power shaft 25.carries apulley 26 whereby it is actuated.

The turntable 24 is provided with a number of holes, one of which is shown at 27 in Figure 4. These holes are exactly alike, and are spaced equidistant. `Covering each hole 27 is a base 28, detachably secured upon the drawings forming a part of this specifiturntable by bolts 29 and carrying a.

hollow frame 30, this frame having a reduced portion 3l, extending downwardly and through the hole 27, as may be understood from Fig. 4. The frame 30 is further provided with bearings 31, extending upwardly. Supported by these bearings are a pair of folder arms 32, 33, the folder arm 32 being mounted rigidlyupon a shaft 34, and the folder arm 33 being similarly mounted upon a shaft 35. The shafts 34 an'd 35 are supported in part by the bearings 3l and in part by another pair of bearings 36, shown more particularly in Figure 2. Each folder arm `32, 33 is adapted to rock within definite limits of travel.

The rocking movements of the two folder arms are performed, however, at slightly different moments; each movement of the folder arm' 32, in either of two directions, preceding the corresponding *or similar movement of the folder arm 33. That is to say, reckoning from the direction of stepby-step travel of the turntable, as indicated by the arrow in Figure l, the folder arm 32, which is the one in front, acts a triie earlier than the other folder arm 33 of the same pair.v

F or the purpose of actuating the shafts 34, 35 I provide them withV pinions 37, 38, securedA rigidly upon them. Y

Disposed adjacent the pinions 37, 38, and located below the same are a pair of sliding bars 39,4 40, provided respectively at their upper ends with portions 41, 42-formed into racks, as shown in Figure 3, these racks engaging the pinions 37, 38 in such manner that the'sliding movements of the bar 39, 40 will cause theracks to turn the pinions in opposite directions. The sliding bars 39, 4() are mounted in vbearings 43, 44, shown more particularly in Figure 3. A tensile spring 45 Ais connected with the sliding bar 39 and with the bearings 45, another tensile spring 46 being similarly connected with the sliding bar 40 and with the bearing 44. The tensile springs 45, 46 are always under tension,l and because of this fact they have a tendency to force the sliding bars 39, 40 downwardly each in Vthe direction of its length, as may be understood from Figure 3. The 'bearings43, 44 are here shown as made in a single iece mounted upon base 47, this base being etachably secured upon the turntable by means of bolts 48, as'may be understood from Figure 2, and extending through a hole 51 in the turntable as intl' lcated in Figure 3; The sliding bar 39 carries upon its bottom end a roller 49, a simlar'roller 50 rbeing mounted upon the bottom yendof the sliding bar 40. y

Located below the turntable 34 is a stationary cam ring 52, provided with a pair of 'cam walls 53, 54, as shown more particularly in Figure 5. The cam wall 53 extends upwardly from the cam ring, and is concentric to the cam wall54 which extends upwardly from the outer edge thereof. The cam wall 53 is partially cut away as indicated in' laction of the machine, by the rollers 49, 50,

above described as mounted upon the sliding bars 39, 40. That is to say, each roller 49, 50 runs upon the inner cam wall, and is at all times in engagement with some part of the top thereof. For this purpose the cam wall in question may be considered as practically a track, upon which rollers 49, 50 are arranged to run in tandem, each of these rollers being alternately raised and lowered in consequence of the conformity of the cam wall as above described. Since the camwall in question is fixed in position and the rollers 49, 50 move relatively to it, the roller 49 being in front, it necessarily follows that ing movements so arranged that any move- 'ment conferred by the shaft 34 upon the folder arm 32 is followed an instant later by a similar movement, conferred upon the folder arm 33 by the shaft 35. Thesesuccessive movements of the folder arms 32, 33 take place whenever these arms move into the positions indicated for them in Figure 4, or out of such positions and into the positions indicated for them in Figure 2l The purpose in thus causing the folder arms 32, 33 to move in successive order, as stated, is to properly manipulate the wrapper relatively to the cheese cake, as hereinafter more completely described.

Extending through the frame 30'and movable bodily in relation thereto is a sliding bar 59, having a form which may be understood by reference to Figure 4. The upper end of this sliding bar is providedwith two sets'of rack teeth 60, 61 formed upon opposite edges ofthe bar and thus disposed oppositely to each other.

These ,two sets of rack teethy engage respectively two pinions 62, 63, these pinions folder` fingers 66, and similarly mounted upon the shaft 65 are another pair of folder ngers 67.

mandare The pair of folder lingers 66 have, under control of the shaft 64, two normal positions; and the vpair of folder lingers 67, under control of the shaft 65, have likewise two normal positions. The respective normal positions of the different folder fingers ire indicated in Figure 4 by full and broken mes.

The sliding bbar 59 carries a roller 68, which engages and runs upon the cam wall 54--that is, the outer cam wall according to Figure 5.

A. sliding bar 59EL is carried by the frame 30, and is disposed upon the --fside thereof opposite the sliding 'bar 59, as may be understood from Figure 2. The sliding bar 59a does not carry any roller like the roller 68 with which the sliding bar 59 is provided. Otherwise, thesliding bar 59a and its immediate connections are like the sliding -bar 59 and its immediate connections.

By means of twotensile springs 69, 70 connected with the respective sliding bars 59, 59, these sliding bars are always under tension, so that they are thrust downward. Simultaneously each time the roller 69 enters the depression 58, as may be understood from Figure 4.

Whenever the `fraine 30, carried by the turntable, passes over the depression 58 in the cam wall 54, as `indicated in Figure 4, the sliding bar 59 makes a thrust downwardly which is quite abrupt and rapid, and then rises, a little more slowly, to its original position, as maybe understood from r'igure 4. This means that all of the folder arms 66, 67, as a gang, quickly assume one position; and then as a gang but a little more slowly, assume a diEerent position.

The parts are so arran d and co-related as to act in sequence as ollows: First, thev folder arm 32 swings upwardly and into the position indicated for it in Figure 8, and a moment later the folder arm 33 moves into the position indicated for it in Fi re 9; next all four of the folder lingers 66, 67 swing upward simultaneousl as indicated by dotted andlfull lines in igure 10; and then the four folder fingers all swing down ward simultaneously; as indicated in Figure 11; afterward, the folder arm 32 swings downwardly 1as indicated in Figure 13,'and the next moment the folder arm 33 also swings downwardly. The various steps just mentioned are repeated, in the successive order just stated, each time the turntable travels a step in its step-by-step movement above described.

A cake of plastic material, such as cream cheese, just discharged by the feeding mechanism 23, is shown as'resting upon a wrapper 72 at the top of Figure 1. Two of these Wrappers are shown in this figure, one of them appearing as partly broken away. The wrappers may be made of any suitable sheet material, such for instance as tin foil. A pile of the wrappers are shown at 73, contained in a wrapper magazine 74.

A vacuum plate 75 is provided for picking up the wrappers one at 'a time from the wrapper magazine 74, and placing them upon the several package wrapping platforms as the latter, carried by the turntable and therewith actuated step-by-step, are successively brought intoy proximity to the ma azine. The vacuum plate-7 5 is provided wit suction cups 76, shown more particularly in Figure 6, for the purpose of enabling the vacuumlplate to lift, carry and deliver the wrappers one at a time. A eX- ible pipe 77 is connected with the vacuum plate 75, for the purpose of controlling the vacuum therein. The vacuum plate is mounted upon a swinging arm 78, and under control of the latter is movable back and forth, for the purpose of transferring the wrappers as just explained.

Mechanism-7 9 is provided .for actuating the arm 78 and thus controlling bodily movements of the vacuum' plate, relatively to the general position of the turntable.

Connected with the mechanism 79 is a swinging arm 80 which is also connected with ejector mechanism 81, 'the latter being provided withV a hook 82 for the purpose of removing the finished packages one at a time, as they arrive in succession and in position for this purpose, as may be understood from Figure 1.

The hollow frame 30carries a bed 83, provided with a facing 84, this facing being provided with holes 85. A ipe 86 is. connected with the bed 83, and y aid of this pipe a partial vacuum is periodically created and destroyed in the space between the bed 83 and the facing 84. ln the particular instance here shown there are siX of these pipes 86, as may be understood from Figure 1. By means of a movable vacuum ring 87, to which the pipes 86 are connected and avacuum ring 88 to which is connected a vacuum pipe 89, the pipe 89 is effective for removing air from the pipes 86 and parts connected therewith, for tle purposes herein contemplated.

rlhe mechanism just described is adapted to periodically create and destroy a partial vacuum below each facing 84.

Thus essentially the mechanism just described is a pneumatic holdfast for holding wrappers upon the facings 84, and'releasing the same. The purpose is to hold each wrapper firmly in position while the cake of plastic material is placed upon it, and while each wrapper is being folded around the cake resting upon it.

A pair of smoothing blades 90, carried by a plunger 91. are so mounted that while they have a -slight vertical movement, the

general position they occupy is stationary as considered relatively to the movement of the turntable. Another ,pair of smoothing blades 93 have each a slight vertical movement, but the general position occupied by these two smoothing blades is also stationary as regards the turntable.

A yoke 94, shown more particularly in Figure 4, is used for actuating the smoothingblades 93 in unison.

Thus there are two pairs of smoothing blades, each pair having a slight vertical movement relatively to the turntable. The smoothing blades, thus arranged in pairs, are for the purpose of smoothing or pressing down certain portions of the wrapper after the Wrapper is folded around the cheese cake.

The several successive positions assumed by each package Wrapping pla-form, incidental to the step-by-step movement of the turntable, and indicated upon :Figure llby the letters A, B, C. D, E and 'F, are closely' associated with the successive diagrams shown in Figures 6to 15 inclusive. That is to say, Figure 6 indicates the condition of anyparticular package wrapping platformA and various movable parts associated therewith, when the platform stopsin Athe position indicated for it at A. Figure 7 indicates the condition of the same platform when it stops in the position indicated at B. Figure 8 indicates the condition of the platform and the position assumed by various movable parts carried by it, while the platform is in motion and traveling from the v position B to the position C, as indicated by the arrow in'Figure 8. Figure 9 indicates the condition of the platform and parts immediately associated with it, when the platform stops in theposition C. As the platform is travelingfrom its position C to the position D, .as indicated by the arrow in Figure 10, various movable parts carried by the platform execute movements indicated by full dotted lines and broken lines in Figure 10. When the platform Stops in the position D, however, as indicated in Figure 11, all movable parts carried by it 'are at rest in the position indicated for them in this Figure. When the platform moves intothe position E and stops, certain movable parts carried bythe platform are thereupon caused to execute movements in sequence with movements of other parts not carried by the platform, as indicated in the two Figures12 and 13. While the platform is in motion traveling from theposition E to the position F as indicated by the arrow' in Figure 14, certain movable parts carried by the platform are actuated, as indicated in this gure. When the platform stops in the position F, the movable l parts carried by it are stationary, but the ejector mechanism, which is mounted independently of the platform but in suitable position to coact therewith, is actuated for the purpose of removing the nished packis created and maintained in-each of the air pipes; that a. supplyo-f cheese or other plastic material has been provided, and placed in the feed hopper; that the wrapper magazine is filled with wrappers; and that the various movable" parts are being actuated,- as described.

. A single wrapper is picked up by the vacuum plate 75, and deposited upon the nearest adjacent package Wrapping` platform as indicated at 72 in Figure 1. The platform in question now occupies the position A. .The middle of this Wrapper is held tightly 1n position, by means of the pneumatic holdfast above described'.

As the platform moves one more step it is brought into the position B, and the wrapper just mentioned is brought into proxim- 1ty to the feed mechanism 23, which vdelivers a cake of plastic material 71 and places it vcentrally upon the wrapper, as shown.

The turntable now moves another ste and the platform stops in the position While the turntable is moving the platform 1n .questlon from the position B to the pos1t1on C and thus while it is in motion, as lndicated by the arrow in. Figure 13, the folder arms 32, 33 are moved one at a time,

`in the manner above described. That is to to overlap that portion of the Wrapper previously placed in position by the movement of the folder arm 32. This leaves the folder arms 32, 33 and various other movable parts in tlepositionsindicated for them in Figure The lnext step in the movement; of the turntable carries the platform from the position C to the position D. While the platform is thus traveling, as indica-ted by the arrow in Figure 10, the folder fingers 66, 67 initially occupying their lowermost posi` tions as indicate in Figure 8, spring up into th positions indicated for them by full lines in' Figure 10. and dropped back into -their initial positions indicated by broken lines in this figure, so that when the platform stops inthe position D the various parts appear as indicated in Figure 11.

.Another step of the turntable brings the platform into the position indicated at E,

income and thus into proximity toI the smoothing blades 90, 90, 9 3, 93, which are so actuated as to smooth various parts of the wrapper, 211s may be understood .fromFigures 12 and The platform next moves from its position E to its position F, its condition at E being represented by Figures 12 and 13 and its condition at F being indicated by Figure 15. During this step, and consequently while the platform is in motion as indicated by the arrow in Figure 14:, the folder arm 32 swings downwardly 'as shown in this ligure and immediately afterward the folder arm 33 also swings downwardly. The result is that when the platform reaches the position F both of the folder arms 32, 33 are down in their lowermost positions.

The ejectorhook 82 now pulls the finished package 96 off the platform, and off the turntable. This completes the operation.

I do not limit myself to the precise mechanism here shown and described, as variations may be made therein without de-` parting from my invention, the scope of which is commensurate with my claims.

Having thus described `my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by lLetters Patent is as follows.

1. In a folding mechanism for packaging machines the combination, with a turntable, of a package wrapping platform carried by said turntable and provided with a portion for supporting a wrapper of sheet material and a cake of plastic material resting upon said wrapper, a pair of folder arms carried by said turntable and disposed upon opposite sides of said platform for the purpose of folding oppositely disposed edges of said wrapper, a pair of rocking shafts disposed upon opposite sides of said platform, each of said rocking shafts carrying one of said folder arms, a pair of pinions mounted upon said rocking shafts for actuating the same, a air of racks each engaging oneof said pinions, and mechanism connected with said racks and with said turntable, and controllable by the revoluble movement of said turntable, for actuating said racks one at a time.

2. In a folding mechanism for Apackaging machines, the combination, with a turntable, of a packa e wrapping platform carriedby said turnta le and provided with a portion for sup orting said wrapper of sheet material and) a cake of transient material resting upon said Wrapper and adapted to be wrapped therein, a air of. rocking s hafts journaled upon sai turntable, a pair of folder arms mounted upon said rocking shafts and located upon opposite sides of said packa e wrapping platform for the purpose of olding oppositely disposed edges of said wrapper upon said cake of transient carried by said turntab `saidplatform, a pair of folder arms one mounted uponeach shaft, a pair of sliding bars carried by said turntable, connections from said sliding bars to said rocking shafts for enabling said sliding bars to actuate said rockin shafts, a pair of rollers carried by said sliding bars and thus revolublewith said turntable, and a stationary cam provided with an inclined wall disposed partiall within the path of travel of said rollers or the purpose of actuating said sliding bars, so that the revoluble movement of said turntable causes said rollers` to reach said.

inclined portion of said cam wall at different moments of time. l

LL'In a folding mechanism for packaging machines the combination of a turntable, a packa e wrapping platform carried by said turnta le, a pair of folder arms carried by said turntable and movable relatively to said platform forthe purpose of folding the oppositely disposed edges of a wrapper over an article to be wrapped, a pair of rocking shafts connected with said folder arms for actuating the same, a pair of pinions carried by said shafts, a pair of slidingbars each provided with a portion formed into a rack and engaging one of said pinions, a bearing carried by said turntable and slidably supporting said sliding bars, a pair of rollers each carried by one of said slidin bars, and a stationary cam ring dispose adjacent said turntable and provided with an inclined wall disposed partially within the path of travel of each of said rollers, for thc purpose of actuating said sliding bars.

5. In a folding mechanism for packaging machines the combination of a turntable provided with an opening, a bearing car-4 ried by said turntable and extending through said opening, a package wrapping platform e and disposed adjacent said bearing, said platform being provided with a portion for supporting a wrapper of sheet material .and a transient article resting upon said wrapper, a air of folder arms carried by said turnta le and disposed upon opposite sides of said platform for the pur ose of folding oppositely disposed edges o said wrapper upon said transient article, av pair of rocking shafts disposed upon opposite sides of said platform, each of sal rocking shafts carrying one of said folder arms, a pair of pinions mounted upon said rocking shafts for actu- 5 atin the same, a. air of sliding bars extending Ythrough said bearing and each having a. portion formed into a rack engaging one of said pinions, and mechanism connected with said sliding bars and with said turntable, and controllable by the revoluble l0 movement of said turntable, for actuating said sliding bars one at a time.

FELIX WYNER. 

